Improvement in hay and cotton presses



1. M. BETHUNE. Y Y Hay and Cotton Presses.

No.157.,486. Patentednecfanwf.

UNITED STATESl JAMES N. BETHUNE, OF WARRENTON, VIRGINIA.

IMPROVEVIVENT IN HAV AND COTTON PRESSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l57.46, dated December 8, 1874; application filed october 24, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMEs N. BETHUNE, of Warrenton, in thecounty of Fauquier and State of VVirginia, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Hay and Cotton Presses 5 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure l of the drawings is a representation of a verticalsection of my press. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, and Fig. 3 is an end View.

This invention has relation to pressesof the upright kind, which are especially designed. for baling cotton, hay7 moss, and other like substances; and the nature of the invention consists in a frame rigidly secured to the rectan gularly-arran ged upri gh ts of the press-frame at or near the upper part of the press-box, and extending some distance beyond the pressframe, to the transverse end bars of which are 'hinged vertically-vibratin g arms, which, when Vthey are thrownV up, will permit the follower to be taken out of the press-box, and, when vibrated inward towardv each other, will abut against the vertical ends of the press-box, coninin g the follower in the same, and effectually preventing outward displacement of the said ends when they are being subjected to strain occurring when cotton is being pressed. It furthermore consists in the ends of the said pressbox, which are composed of vertical slats spaced a suitable distance apart, whereby a follower, having upon its upper surface longitudinal bars projecting through the spaces between the said vertical slats, is positively guided in the press-box, and a means is afforded for attaching to the said follower the chains whereby it is actuated, as will be hereinafter more fully explained. i

In the annexed drawings, A designates the four uprights of a press structure, arranged, preferably, at the four angles of an oblong rectangle, which are suitably braced, and which are provided at their upper ends with a rectangular frame, the longitudinal bars a of which extend some distance beyond the uprights, and

\\ are mortised into end bars b. The sides of the press-box -of my improved baling-press are composed of strips or slats B, rigidly secured to the inner surfaces of the bars a, and of a longitudinal brace, b', and are terminated by a hinged slatted door, C, through which access is given to the interior of the box for the pur: pose of spreading bagging upon the floor thereof, and of removing a completed bale, while its ends are likewise slatted, but continuous-that is to say, the slats B extend from the top to the bottom of the press-box, and are rigidly secured to a central brace, c, and a lower brace, c', as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, there being no brace at the upper ends of these slats. This absence of the'slat-brace permits of the application of two or more longitudinal bars, d, to the upper surface of avertically-movable follower,D, and of extending these bars through the spaces of the said slats, thereby obtaining a means of positively guiding the said. follower in its box, and yet allowing it to be removed.

therefrom at will; but, as in the absence of any means of bracing the upper end of the box the pressure of the .mass would be liable to cause outward displacement of the said end slats, I use strong boards,l l, the former hinged to vibrate vertically upon the bar b of the upper frame, the latter rigidly secured thereto, and the inner free ends ofboth abutting against the upper ends of the slats B. The ends of the bars d, which project through the bars B are connected by means of a tie, c, to which are secured chains f, passing thence downwardly to a winch-shaft, E, to which they are rigidly secured in any suitable manner. This shaft is supported in bearings upon hangers g, which are rigidly secured to a brace, c', at the lower end of the press-box, and it is continuous, extending through from end to end of the press structure, both ends being provided with a tapering or spirally-grooved cone, F, which is part of the winch Fi, and w'hich are applied thereon, with their larger ends outward, as seen in Fig. 1.

The bottom G of the press-box may be made to rest directly upon the winch E, or a strip, h, may be interposed, and by this means the downward strain produced in compressing will, in great measure, fall upon the winchshaft. i

As the said shaft is continuous, it is evident that power may be applied at'either end thereof by means of a crank-arm, H, or at both ends; also, that when steam or any other motor is applied it is only necessary to connect it with one end of the winch, when both ends of the followerwill be brought down evenly, a quick descent What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The brace-boards l, hinged to the end bars b of the upper frame, for the purpose of permitting the follower to be removed from the press-box, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with the spaced slats B of a press-box and the frame a b, of the braceboards l l', as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES N. BETHUNE.

Witnesses:

J oHN B. OoRLIss, GEO. E. UPHAM. 

